Matthew Coleman, a former California surf school owner who believed in QAnon conspiracy theories that triggered him to kill his children, has written a letter from prison to beg for forgiveness for his actions.
The 40-year-old father addressed his letter to a childhood friend, who said that Coleman is "despondent and hopeless" while he's confined 24/7 and utterly alone in his thoughts. The friend also said that Coleman poured his heart out in the letter, but he is aware he's "where he deserves to be" after what he did to his kids.
Coleman was arrested in August 2021 after he went on an unplanned weekend getaway in Rosarito, Mexico, with his children, Kaleo, two years old, and Roxy, 10 months old. He didn't inform his wife of his plans to take the kids, and she had no idea that her husband killed the children because he believed they were possessed with serpent DNA.
The dad was a QAnon fanatic who thought he was "saving the world" from his kids. Court documents revealed that Coleman used a spearfishing gun to kill Kaleo and Roxy, but he had to stab them multiple times because they didn't die right away.
Enlightened by QAnon and Illuminati
FBI special agent Jennifer Bannon filed a criminal complaint that the father claimed he had been enlightened by the conspiracy theories he has read online. He firmly believed that his kids would grow up to become monsters, so he had to get rid of them.
The authorities seized all of Coleman's gadgets and computers and dug deeper into his internet activities. He was active in conspiracy theory message boards or groups and spent hours surfing different subjects online.
His wife did not know his obsession with conspiracy theories. Aside from the serpent DNA conspiracy, Coleman also allegedly believed that former President Donald Trump had been secretly in a battle with a shadowy group of Satan-worshipping Democrats.
In September, Coleman was arraigned in court and entered a not guilty plea before the San Diego District Court. He has been assigned a public defender and could likely face the death penalty if convicted for his crimes.
The friend added that he was unsure if Coleman also sent other letters. He wrote because the holidays were coming up and he dreaded facing it alone in jail.
"He said he's sorry, that he never wanted to cause pain," the friend shared. "He's working through why he made the choices he made. It was a very sad note."
A Desire for More Kids
Before the horrific incident, Coleman told some friends that he wanted to have at least four kids with his wife, Abby Coleman, because she's very good with the children. The dad was hopeful that the "best was yet to come" in their married life.
The father is due for another court appearance in May 2022. The delay in the hearing was attributed to the mounting evidence that the authorities needed to gather and complete. The prosecution expects that his lawyer will use a mental health defense as Coleman kept insisting that he knew it was wrong to kill his children, but it was the only way "to save the world." A psychiatrist has been working with Coleman to determine if he's fit to take the stand.
